Ladder



w 1938 H, J. CARBIS 2,126,171

LADDER.

Filed June 28, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. Q, 193%.

H, J. cAais 2,126,171

LADDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fild' June 28, 1937 J r J Gambia hiatentedAugl9, 1938 I r w a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Henry J. Carbis,Tarentum, Pa., assignor to Aluminum Ladder 00., Tarentum, Pa.

Application June 28, 1937, SerialNo. 150,875

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 22a-29) The device forming the subject matter of thisThe steps fit between the flanges and 4 of application is a ladder, madepreferably of exthe side rails and each step comprises a tread trudedmetal, such as aluminum or magnesium; B,a front flange 9, and a rearflange iii, the flanges The invention aims to improve the connectionextending downwardly. Securing elements ii between the steps and theside rails of the ladder, connect the front flange 9 of each stepwith-the t to improve and simplify the platform construcfront flanges lof the rails i, and connect the tion, to improve the prop, if the deviceis of the rear flange Iii of each step with the rear flanges step laddertype, to improve the shelf structure i of the side rails lland,generally to improve and to enhance the The treads 8 of the steps havedepending inutility'of devices of that type to which the presenttermediate flanges i2, and there may be any ill invention appertains.desired number of. the flanges ll, As shown in With the above and otherobjects in view, which Fig. 1, all of the steps saving the lowermoststep will appear as the description proceeds, the inare provided with asingle intermediate flange i2, vention resides in the combination andarrangebut the lowermost step has a plurality of such 5 ment of partsand in the details of construction flanges, for instance two, such aconstruction be-' .15 hereinafter described and claimed, it beingunder-' ing peculiarly desirable in connection with long stoodthat'changes in the precise embodiment of ladders, strength beinggained, and the weight the invention herein disclosed, may be madewithof the ladder, as a. wholebeing kept down. The in the scope of whatis claimed, without departseveral flanges 3, i and it are suppliedattheir ing from the spirit of the invention. lower edges with enlarged,longitudinal reinforc- 20 In the accompanying drawings: ing ribs ll.Fig. 1 shows in vertical section, a ladder, con- If the structure is tobe embodied in a step structed in accordance with the invention; ladder,a platform it is provided. This platlorm Fig. 2 is a front elevation; tit, as Fig. 4 will show, is a duplicate of the upper- Fig. 3 is a topplan on an enlarged scale, parts most step and of all of the stepssaving the 2s being broken away; lowermost step. It includes atread it,a front Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line l-d flange ill, arear flange it, and an intermediate of Fig. 3; flange i9, allconstructed as hereinbefore de- Fig. 5 is a section on the line H ofFig. i; scribed, and supplied at their lower edges with '30 Fig. 6 is asection on the line .d-fl of Fig. l; longitudinal reinforcing ribs 2d,like the ribs it.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line l-"l of Fig. i; The tread it of theplatform is placed in hori- Flg. 8 is a side elevation showing amodiflcazontal alignment with the tread t of the uppertion,parts beingbroken away; most step, the depending front flange ll of the Fig. 9 is across section on the line d'@ of tread-"it of the platform being placedagainst Fig. 3. the rear surfaces of the rear flanges 3 of the side 35The ladder proper includes side rails l,'which rails Ilfof the bothThesecuring elements it in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 7 are one-piecewhichconnect the rear flange it of the upperchannels, each including abody 2 having an most step with'the flanges l of the side rails lvinwardly projecting rear flange l and an in- Y aisoconnect the frontflange ll ofthe platform 40 wardly projecting front flange l. Theflanges it with the said rear flanges l. do

3 and l are slit transversely. near their lower Top rails ii areprovided, and are angle memends, and are turned inwardly, whereby thelower hers. Their horizontal flanges overlap the tread portions of thebodies l'of the side rails i form t of the uppermost step and the treadit of inwardly extended foot pieces 5 closing the lower the platform It.The e t al d p di flan s ends 'of the side rails i, the lower portionsof of the top rails 20 extend downwardly, and close 45 the flanges l andd forming lips t which overlap the uppermost step and the platform l5 attheir the lower ends of the flanges 3 and t, as shown ends. as shown inFig. 4." Securing elements 22 in Fig. l. Securing elements 7! connectthe lips connect the depending flanges of the top rails 84 with theflanges ii and 4. ill with the bodies 2 of the side rails i. Secur-.

1 Any desired number of steps are provided and ingeIements 23 connectthe horizontaL'inwardiy 50 are in the form of channel members. Thesteps, projecting flanges of the top rails II with the the side rails iand other parts to be described tread ii of the platform IS. Theuppersurfaces hereinafter preferably are made of extruded of the stepsand of the platform ii are grooved metal, and aluminum or magnesium ismentioned longitudinally, as at 24, to form anti-slipping as a propermetal, owing to its lightness. ribs 25. 55

a step ladder, a prop P is provided, and includes side members 21, eachin the form of a channel,

including a front flange 28, a rear flange 29' and a body 30, the footpieces 3i being formed in the manner hereinbefore described inconnection with the foot pieces 5. The body oi each side member 21 ofthe prop P is extended upwardly above the flanges 23 and 29 to form anear 32. extend upwardly inside of the depending flanges of the top rails2i, the ears 32 being connected to the said flanges by pivot elements33. The rear flanges 29 of the side members 21 of the prop P may bejoined by as many transverse ties 34 as are considered necessary.Downwardlyand outwardly inclined braces 35 connect the ties 34 with therear flanges 29 of the side members 21 of the prop P.

U-shaped, inwardly projecting brackets 36 are connected by securingelements 31 to the bodies 30 of the side members 21 of the prop P, asshown in Fig. 6. A rearwardly extended shelf S is provided and includesside strips 39, which are angle members. The inwardly extendedhorizontal flanges of the side strips 39 support a table 40,

connected thereto by securing elements 4i, the

table 40 being supplied at its rear end with a depending lip 42 whichextends downwardly over the rear ends of the side strips 39.Intermediate their ends, the depending flanges of the side strips 39 areconnected to the brackets 36 by pivot elements 39. When the shelf S isin a horizontal position, the forward portions of the side strips 39engage the lower edge of the rear flange iii of the step next below thetop step, and the side strips 39 of the shelf flt closely between theinner edges of the front flanges 4 of the side rails I, as shown in Fig.2. When the shelf S is turned on the pivot elements 38 into alignmentwith the prop P, the lower end of one of the side strips 39 of the shelfengage an inwardly projecting stop 48 (Fig. 22) secured as shown in Fig.1 to the rear flange 29 of one of the prop members 21.

Foldable braces B hold the prop and the main portion of the ladder intheposition shown in Fig. 1. The braces B include rear members 43, pivotedat 44 to the bodies 30 of the side members 21 ofthe prop P. The bracesinclude forward members 45, pivoted at 43 to the bodies 2 of the siderails I of the ladder proper. Intermediate their ends the forwardmembers 45 of the braces B are pivoted at to the forward ends of therear members 43 of the braces. As shown in Fig. "l, the forward member45 of each brace 13 is supplied along its upper edge with a lateral lip41 which engages the upper edge of the rear member 43 of the brace B andholds the parts 43 and 45 of the brace in the position shown in Fig. 1of the drawings.

Especial attention is directed to the way in which the steps are joinedto the side rails i, and to the way in which the platform 15 is formedand held in place, as shown in Fig. 4, the platform being a duplicate ofthe uppermost step.

By' using extruded metal'whenever possible, an advantage isgained overthe use of fabricated sheet metal. The extruded metal can be purchasedas an article of manufacture and can simply -be cut off in properlengths, it being unnecessary toform a channel as a step in the makingof the ladder. The device forming the The side members 21 of the prop Psubject matter of this application is construction, light, andcharacterized by strength and ability to withstand hard and longcontinued use.

In Figs. 8 and 9, parts hereinbefore described are designated bynumerals previously used, with the suffix "a". In this form of theinvention, the side rails in, although channel-shaped, are made of anglemembers. The .angle members .which make up the side rails are connectednear their upper ends by a gusset plate ill. They are connected neartheir lower ends by a gusset plate 131, and a U-shaped seat I92 isinterposed between the angle members at their lower ends.

Having thus'described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A ladder comprising side rails having front and rear'flanges, stepshaving their ends disposed between the flanges, the steps being in theformof channels having depending front and rear flanges, means forsecuring the front flanges of the steps to the front flanges of the siderails, a platform duplicating one step and disposed in alignmenttherewith, and means for securing the front flange of the platform andthe rear flange of said one step to the rear flanges of the aid rails.

2. A ladder comprising side rails having front and rear flanges, stepshaving their ends disposed between the flanges, the steps being in theform of channels having depending front and rear flanges, the dependingterminal ends of said flanges being enlarged to provide reenforcing andstrengthening means for said steps, means for securing the front flangesof the steps to the front flanges of the side rails, a platformduplicating one step and disposed in alinement therewith, and means forsecuring the front flange of the platform and the rear flange of saidone step to the rear flanges of the side rails.

3. A ladder comprising side rails having front and rear flanges, stepshaving their ends disposed between the flanges, the steps being in theform of channels having depending front and rear flanges andintermediate depending flanges between said front and rear flanges, thedepending terminal ends of all of said flanges being enlarged to providereenforcing and strengthening means for said steps, means for securingthe front flanges of the steps to the front flanges of the side rails, aplatform duplicating one step and disposed in alinement therewith, andmeans for securing the front flange of the platform and the rear flangeof said one step to the rear flanges of the side rails.

4. A ladder comprising side rails having front and rear flanges, stepshaving their ends disposed between the flanges, the steps being in theform of channels having depending front and rear flanges, andintermediate depending flanges between said front and rear flanges, thedepending terminal ends of said flanges being enlarged to providereenforcing and strengthening means for said steps, means for securingthe front flanges of the steps to the front flanges of the side mu -aplatform duplicatingone step and disposed in therewith, and means forsecuring thealinement simple in front flanges of the platform and therear flange of said one step to the rear flanges of the side rails, anda prop pivoted to said platform and comprising rails having front andrear flanges.

HENRY J. CARBIB.

